I write regarding an article in the Evening Gazette (Baby Left At Station, 14.2.05) and an accompanying leader column.

Safety is always the first priority when trains are despatched from all the stations we operate, including Darlington.

The station team there have many years of combined experience, and the safety procedures involved are tightly regulated and regularly reviewed to ensure highest standards are maintained.

More than 11,000 passengers arrive and depart from Darlington station in complete safety every weekday.

A full report of what occurred on this occasion has been submitted by the supervising staff on duty that day. It clearly indicates that:

* Two clearly audible whistles were blown by platform staff to indicate the train was soon to depart

* Despatching staff checked up and down the train before signalling to onboard staff that the train was ready to depart

* An audible alarm was sounded as doors began to close

* There was a further pause before the train began to move

* At no stage, until the doors closed, did any passenger indicate to despatching staff that there was a problem.

The report indicates the train was in the platform for almost two minutes - a normal, safe and usual waiting time.

Further, the report makes clear that the staff member in charge of despatch, plus our station team leader at Darlington, both made extensive efforts to explain what had happened and to offer assistance to Mrs Sheila Gamble, who remained on the platform with her grandson.